Marillion are planning to make their new album, ‘Happiness is the Road’, available for free download via P2P file-sharing websites.
The first time a song is played then a pop-up will appear encouraging fans to provide their email address so the band can send out info about gig tickets, merchandise etc. Basically, the band will be trying to make a bit of money back.
Several bands and artists have been trying different ways of distributing their albums rather than through the normal record company channels. Prince, the former squiggle, gave his away with a newspaper. Radiohead tried a ‘pay what you like’ system. Although they complained they only averaged about two pounds per album, that’s actually more than they would have got from their record company, EMI.